The present disclosure relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Salvia plant, also known as a sage, a perennial that is grown for use as an ornamental landscape and container plant. The new variety is a hybrid of Salvia greggii and Salvia microphylla and will be referred to hereinafter by the cultivar name ‘Elk White Ice’.
‘Elk White Ice’ originated and was selected from a large population of hybrid seedlings from a Salvia breeding program which was started in 2009. The breeding program was conducted in a greenhouse nursery in Elk, Calif. A controlled hybridization was carried out in 2012 between Salvia greggii ‘Texas Wedding’ (unpatented) as the female parent and Salvia microphylla ‘Robin Middleton’ (unpatented) as the male parent.
Seeds from this hybridization were sown and a single plant was selected in 2013 for its pure white flowers and naturally compact and branching and secondary branching habit, and was subsequently named ‘Elk White Ice’.
‘Elk White Ice’ was first asexually propagated in early spring of 2013 in a greenhouse at the inventors nursery in Elk, Calif. using softwood tip cuttings. ‘Elk White Ice’ is stable and reproduces true to type in successive generations of asexual reproduction.